Who would we be as a nation, were it not for Susan B. Anthony? Best known for her tireless efforts on behalf of women’s rights, this audacious force of nature was also pivotal to the anti-slavery movement and one of the first advocates for the eight-hour work day. An activist from an early age, Anthony devoted her life to creating an equal and fair playing field for all individuals in a variety of arenas, from the halls of higher education to the voting booths of our nation. Known as The Lady with the Alligator Purse, her story is intertwined with our own, and pivotal to the freedoms we now enjoy.

A Massachusetts native, Anthony’s activist-minded Quaker family moved to Rochester when she was a young girl. Today, the three-story, red brick Victorian that the family called home is the site of the National Landmark, Susan B. Anthony House & Museum. Filled with history, this is the building Anthony utilized as a political headquarters and where she was arrested for voting in 1872, as well as the place of her death.

It’s here at the Susan B. Anthony House & Museum that Anthony’s story and the rich times she lived in come alive through the viewing of artifacts and research materials chronicling the vast reach of her life’s work as a suffragette, abolitionist, labor rights advocate and education reformer. The typewriter she worked on, much of her clothing and personal belongings and her attic workplace are available for public view. Tours, a photo gallery and interpretive programming relay her inspirational story in easily understandable language, appropriate not only for adults, but for all of the boys and girls poised to be tomorrow’s leaders.

The neighboring visitor’s center next door was home to one of Anthony’s sisters and the small, lovely park across the street is not only an enjoyable location for a picnic lunch, but also a commemorative site honoring Anthony and her friendship with Frederick Douglass.

Hours of admission, parking information and group tour information can be found here.

Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.